Franken Jack
by AshesTheTerrible
Summary: A stupid crush, turns into love between Axton and Handsome Jack. But when Jack goes mad, and must be killed by the vault hunters, Axton falls apart. How far will Axton go to bring back the Handsome Jack that he fell in love with? Will he cross the lines of right and wrong…and bring back the dead? Axton/Handsome Jack *reanimation of the dead, fantasy, monsters, love, gore*
1. Mourning a Monster

Authors Note: So this idea has been in my head for like…ever. Don't know how it got there, or why. But I felt it needed to be written. As a huge Jack/Axton shipper I just don't feel like there is enough fan fiction of them out there! So I am contributing to the fandom! This is going to be…a really weird story lol.

Axton and Jack fall into a weird sort of love, and then Jack…goes off the deep end.

Axton goes mad scientist in order to bring back his dead lover before he went mad.

Smutty fanfiction, horror, bringing back the dead, monsters, transformation, guy on guy sex, lots of cussing!

Woo!

Please enjoy.

-Ashes

Mourning a Monster

Maya stood awkwardly in the doorframe, her weight shifted to one side as she peered into the room.

She did not say a word to announce her presence, instead she just kept silent. She just observed the scene before her with tired, regretful eyes.

She breathed in softly.

The room was dark, absent of all light except for a small bedside lamp, and every so often the space was illuminated by a flash of lightning from outside.

A crack of thunder slapped across the sky and Maya nearly jumped with the sudden noise.

The sound of gentle rain quenching the earth outside the window kissed her ears.

The weather could not have been more appropriate, she thought to herself as she looked into the room sadly.

She shifted the tray in her hands that held a glass of water, and a bowl of soup that Zero had made for supper.

Maya cleared her throat and gently knocked on the door frame.

"Hey...thought you might be hungry, brought you some soup. It's minestrone, the really good kind that Zero makes..." Maya whispered tenderly taking a step into the room.

She got no response.

She sighed and continued inside.

Maya crossed the room slowly and gently sat the tray of food on the bedside table with a small "clink".

Maya looked down upon the queen sized bed and frowned. There was the tangled form of a body, wrapped in sheets and unmoving.

Maya sat down on the bed slowly, the mattress dipping to her weight.

"Axton...you have to eat _something_. I know you hid yesterday's meal under a bunch of paper in the trash can. I'm not stupid." Maya sighed gently reaching out to the bundle of blankets shaped like a man.

The bundle that she addressed as Axton did not move.

"I'm not hungry." Came a gruff voice from underneath the blankets.

Maya frowned deeply and gently rubbed his shoulder beneath the sheets.

"Axton please...work with me here." Maya pleaded.

She was met by the response of silence.

She breathed out tiredly and looked out the window as another flash of lightning lit up the skyline of Sanctuary.

"The others are beginning to worry. Salvador is pretty sure Doctor Zed need's to get involved and Gaige keeps reminding us that if you end up needing an amputation she's the one for the job. I'm really sticking my neck out by carrying out this little white lie about you being sick with the flu." Maya whispered gently.

Axton just grunted.

"I feel like I'm dying." Axton whispered.

Maya bit her lip softly.

"I know...I know big guy...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." Maya hushed soothingly.

"You're the only one that could ever understand this...thank you for not...shunning me and stuff." Axton whispered from his blanket cocoon.

Maya shrugged.

"I'd never shun you." Maya offered soothingly.

Silence settled over the two counterparts. Maya patted his arm softly, as if to just let him know she was here for him. That she wouldn't leave him alone. She'd be here.

"Try and eat something for me okay? I'll come and check on you later." Maya soothed gently.

Axton didn't reply.

Maya closed her eyes for a moment and lifted herself off the bed.

She crossed the room and paused in the doorway to look back at her fellow Vault Hunter.

The past two days had been hard.

Real hard.

On the commando more than anybody else.

She knew that too well.

The commando had secrets, just like the rest of them...but some were just...bigger than others.

She'd stumbled across his secret, but being the good friend she was...she'd kept it hidden.

Axton had kept her secrets as well.

When she and Zero had first started hooking up...and he'd caught them in the pantry...the fucking pantry of all places, what was she thinking...but anyway, he'd not said a word to the others.

Maya had always thanked him for that.

Vault hunters were not good at relationships, and love, and they were even worse at explaining them.

Of course she and Zero were in fact public to the others now...you know in a relationship and all or whatever the crap you'd call it...but still Axton never mentioned that incident to anybody.

He was a good guy.

A little loud, and rambunctious at times but he had a good heart.

She supposed thats what hurt the most about the whole situation...seeing him like this.

Axton was not one for emotions.

He didn't cry, or mope...or anything.

She'd once seen a rocket launcher round get him right in the back, and he hadn't shed a single tear.

He'd cussed a whole hell of a lot when Zed patched him up that time around, but there was not one tear on that stubborn son of a bitch's face.

She'd seen him cry for the first time two days ago. And she'd seen him cry many more times in the span from then, to right now.

It really hurt her heart to see him in such a state.

It wasn't right.

She'd known months back.

Well figured it out months back.

The secret of his...

They had just moved into what Salvador had very affectionately labeled the "Big Fucking Castle". Literally it was some kind of castle, or had been at one time. It had been abandoned on the edge of Sanctuary for years, and when the Crimson Raider headquarters got too small, with the addition of Gaige and Krieg, they all decided fixing the shit hole up would be a good move.

It took a lot of elbow grease, but after a few weeks the place was livable. Everybody had their own room, they had a kitchen, a dining hall, even a back yard that Krieg had manipulated into a garden of some sort. The guy had a lot of nuts loose, but he liked to grow vegetables...who would have thought?

It was...homey.

Good place to come back too after long missions away. Good place to hang your hat.

Maya had been up late, wandering down to the kitchen for something to drink, and she'd heard noises of some sort.

Being curious and ever on her toes, she naturally had to inspect.

Voices were not unusual in a house full of six extremely noisy vault hunters. In fact most days one was lucky to find any kind of silence for themselves. It was like living with five roosters. Always crowing about something.

But noises at 3:30 in the morning WERE not amongst the norm. Sleep was a very important thing in the household. Missions didn't do themselves, and missions required sleep.

Maya started up the old stone stairwell, keeping her footsteps silent, hugging the wall like a shadow.

She wasn't as good at sneaking around as some of her fellow vault hunters..but she managed. She was more of a "run in with as much noise as possible" kind of girl. Though Zero's whole cloaking thing would have been nice right about then. Fucker was really good at sneaking up on folks. And peeping at her in the shower...yeah...that too.

Maya smirked to herself.

She really didn't mind that though.

It was pretty clear that it was not just one voice...but two.

Two clear voices coming from the top of the stairwell.

Axton's room.

Axton's room was the only one on the second story.

It was a bedroom yes, but it was attached to some old type of laboratory. None of the others wanted to take the spooky room next to the creepy old testing lab. So Axton had called them all pussies, and taken it for himself in typical Axton fashion.

Maya followed the flickering hallway lights as she climbed, keeping her breathing low and her movement's steady.

It wasn't really spying...it was just...curiosity...and she had to look out for her comrades. You never knew when an intruder could have managed to breach sanctuary. On this planet one had to constantly be on their toes. Always. Unless you wanted to be blown up, or eaten, you had to be. All part of Pandoran survival. Trust nothing, always be cautious, always inspect.

And if you found something dangerous upon inspection, run, or shoot at it.

Either or.

Maya could hear the voices more clearly as she neared.

One was Axton's for sure...but the other...she couldn't put her finger on it.

She chewed her lip, listening hard as she snuck closer.

The door to Axton's room was cracked slightly, just enough for prying eyes to get a good look.

Score, Maya thought grinning.

Who was in there with him?

Did Axton have some secret lover coming over late at night?

If he did, she'd sure have to have a stern talk with the man. It wasn't safe to just let people into the castle without letting at least her know. She needed to make sure they were acceptable company.

Maya crawled on her hands and knees toward the bedroom door and ever so cautiously peeked through the small crevice.

Axton was laid across the bed, naked of course.

They really had force the man into the habit of wearing clothes around the house. But he still refused to wear them around his room.

This would have been an embarrassing peeping moment, if Maya hadn't seen "all of that" plenty of times before. None by choice mind you.

All due to Axton's refusal to wear underwear when going to the kitchen for a midnight snack.

She squinted her eyes to see better in the darkness.

He had an echo screen propped up on the end of the bed, lying on his stomach facing the small flickering screen.

The light of the echo screen illuminated his face and shoulders in the darkness of the room.

Maya tried to see who was on the other end, but the tilt Axton had it at made that impossible.

She strained to listen to the conversation she had dropped in on instead.

"Huh...I dunno you could always shoot for a turret with legs? That'd be pretty sweet. Often thought about how cool it would be if the Missus could run around when I throw her." Axton mused grabbing a pillow to prop his chin up.

"That's called a gun loader kiddo. Kinda the same dealio. Can't really call that a "new" robot concept...if it already exists." Came the voice through the echo screen.

Axton rolled his eyes and chuckled before responding to the coy response from the other participant in the conversation.

"Oh yeah. Guess you're right. Well why do you want to think of a new concept yourself? Don't you have like...engineers to do that shit for you?" Axton said smiling.

There was a chuckle from the other end.

God Maya would know that laugh anywhere.

That haunting, honey sweet, maniacal laugh.

The kind of laugh that both shook you in your boots, and tempted you to take your clothes off.

She knew that laugh...that voice...but it couldn't be...could it?

Maya swallowed hard.

"Yeah, yeah, but believe it or not I do have some pretty good ideas every once and a while." The other voice retorted.

"Like the diamond horse?" Axton said teasingly.

"Woah, woah, woah. That was not my original IDEA, that was someone else's idea to breed a diamond horse. I just bought her. Because you know, it's cool. Don't even fucking act like you don't like her." The voice said defensively.

Axton laughed heartily.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. B. Stallion's pretty cool." Axton yawned.

"Speaking of that, when you gunna drop by again kiddo...it's been a while. The horse misses you. And you know I kinda do too." The voice mused.

Axton sighed.

"You know it aint that easy. Especially not with all your Hyperion fucks trying to kill me every time I turn around." Axton sighed.

"It's to keep you on your toes. I only do it cause I like ya. Plus you're hard as fuck to kill regardless. They can't harm a hair on your pretty little head before you blow them up or somethin." The voice chuckled.

"If you'd just join with me...they wouldn't try to kill you." the voice continued.

Axton sighed long and heavy.

"I was never much for following orders and wearing uniforms. You know that. That's why I left Dahl. And the other Vault Hunters well...their kinda family. If you'd just agree to not kill us all this would be so much easier." Axton sighed.

"Can't make any promises kiddo. We've had this conversation before. I gotta plan, can't stray from that...and can't let anybody get in the way of that." The voice sighed.

"You're different from them. I don't get why you still wanna hang out with them." The voice snorted.

"Hey, hey now, is that a hint of jealousy I hear. None of that sir." Axton said smiling and playfully wagging a finger at the screen.

The voice scoffed.

"You aint the boss of me kiddo." The voice retorted sweetly.

"I don't like talking about the whole taking sides thing. You know that. Let's just not.." Axton sighed.

The voice paused for a moment.

"Alright. Gotcha. Well kiddo, I gotta turn in. Gotta early meeting tomorrow and their beginning to wonder why I'm dragging ass all the time." The voice said yawning through the echo.

Axton nodded.

"Just tell them late night Echo sex was more important. Good luck. Don't strangle anybody during the meeting. Like seriously. You strangle them all you're gunna run out of people to work for you." Axton said coyly.

"Yeah cause that would go over really well. And no fucking promises. G'night pumpkin." The voice said in that maliciously sweet tone.

Axton smiled at the screen.

"Night Jack." He whispered clicking the echo screen off and tossing it on the bed.

Maya sat dumbfounded at the door.

She couldn't move.

Couldn't speak.

Couldn't think.

What the fuck had she walked in on!?

Axton...Handsome Jack?

But Axton obviously wasn't siding with Jack...she'd heard him say it...so what _was_ this!?

And drop by again? Meaning Axton had been...visiting Jack previously?

Maya stood up suddenly and turned to get the hell out of there, when her foot caught on the edge of the top step. Maya tripped and grabbed onto the guard railing with a loud thud.

Fuck...she thought to herself freezing.

Immediately there was the thunk of feet hitting the floor and the sound of Axton's door swinging open.

"Who's there?" Axton hissed as he bolted from the door to catch the culprit.

Maya looked up awkwardly and pulled herself to her feet.

"For fuck's sake Axton...clothing? Ever heard of it?" She whispered shielding her eyes from a full view of Axton's junk.

Axton seemed to ignore her comment and looked at her with wildly fearful eyes.

"How much did you hear." He whispered frantically.

"Just the end. But Axton you and I need to have a long talk. I am too tired and shocked right now...but in the morning. You, me, talk. You have A LOT of explaining to do." Maya whispered pointing viciously at Axton.

Axton looked horrified.

"Maya, it's not as bad as it looks, please, please don't tell the others they'll fucking skin me alive." Axton whispered back desperately.

Maya looked at him with stern eyes.

"I'm not saying anything until we have that talk." Maya snapped over her shoulder before disappearing down the stairs, leaving Axton speechless and shaking.

In the morning Maya sat in the back yard, sipping her coffee, when Axton finally came to talk.

He looked tired, and distressed when he sat down in the lawn chair to Maya's left.

He leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees and looked at the ground.

Maya peered at him over her cup, one eyebrow raised.

"So. Now that I'm rested, and really got to think about what I heard last night...let's talk Axton." Maya mused peering over at him.

They were alone in the house.

By some miracle the others had been called to headquarters on a mission.

It was just Maya, and Axton.

Plenty of time for talking.

"Where do you want me to start." Axton sighed running his hand through his hair.

Maya cleared her throat and took another sip of coffee.

"At the beginning." Maya said calmly.

"How did it start?" She continued.

Axton closed his eyes and breathed out nervously.

Being interrogated by a Siren was no matter to be taken lightly.

"All started couple months ago. During solo missions Jack would echo me...more than the rest of you. First it was just more taunting...then it started turning...into something more. Went on like that for some time. Next thing I know we were arranging to meet on neutral grounds. I went on a solo mission, met him in the highlands, he kept his end, he came alone...and we...well...yeah." Axton breathed shaking his head.

Maya's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"You didn't..." She whispered over her cup, furrowing her eyebrows at Axton.

Axton blushed a little and looked at the ground.

"I did." He huffed.

Maya nearly choked on her coffee.

"You fucked Handsome Jack!?" She exclaimed thrusting her hands out, spilling a little coffee onto the ground.

Axton flinched at the harsh sentence.

"Seriously you had to say it like that...yes...damn it. I-I had sex with Jack. It was only supposed to be one time...but fuck you get a little taste of that guy and it's like a drug...he's...he's something else. I mean fuck that guy can give hea-" Axton rambled before Maya held her hand out.

"Nope. Don't wanna know. Spare the details and keep going." She said shaking her head.

"Right..sorry. Anyway...like I said it was supposed to be a one time deal. Get it out of my system, squash the stupid little crush I'd formed. But...but that kinda back fired. Next thing I know we were meeting up regularly to have quickies in his car...and then eventually...he invited me over. I went, despite having vowed myself to bringing Jack down...here I was going behind your backs and meeting with him in his personal quarters. The very man we've been trying to kill...but I just couldn't...I couldn't not fall for him. I spent the night, it just felt...right. He's...he's not as bad as we thought. Sure I mean the guy's a nut...but I mean look at us!? Are we much better? I saw Krieg rip a mans arm off and shove it up the poor guy's ass. He shoved the mans own arm...up his ass...just let that sink in." Axton explained exasperatedly.

Maya nodded thoughtfully.

"We all agree Krieg is nuts as fuck. But he isn't trying to murder the rest of us to cleanse Pandora of bandit scum either..." Maya said grimacing.

Axton nodded.

"I know...I know...but we both agreed we are on neither one's side...and if thing's came down to it...if things got too real...neither would hesitate to kill the other. When the time came. If I get in the way of his plan, he'll kill me just like any other vault hunter. If he get's in my way...I'll kill him. We just exist...pretending all that doesn't matter when we are with each other." Axton breathed out softly.

"So you aren't working for Jack and you're gunna turn on us and kill us in our sleep?" Maya said sternly.

Axton shook his head.

"No...no nothing like that. I just I just...dunno...never felt this way bout anybody before. He's not a bad guy...deep down. Just took a lot of getting to know him to see that. He's been through a lot of shit. I have too. We all have...I just feel like I can finally talk to someone openly about it." Axton sighed.

Maya tilted her head to the side.

"Ok Axton. Ok. But I've got my eye on you. This makes me really nervous. I don't want you getting hurt." She said looking at him with concerned eyes.

Axton chuckled.

"I'm a big boy. I can handle myself." Axton said smiling at her.

Maya returned the smile and nodded.

"But seriously keep the late night sexcapades down. You're lucky it was me that heard you. The others...may not have taken it as well as I am." Maya warned lowly.

Axton shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

"Yeah...I know. Thanks for that..." Axton whispered.

Maya's eyes flicked to Axton.

"One more question." Maya said cocking a side grin.

"Yeah?" Axton said raising an eyebrow.

"You giving it or taking it from that asshole?" She said laughing.

"Giving it. You know better than that." Axton said shaking his head grinning.

"Good. Kinda gives me a nice little feeling of victory knowing a Vault Hunter is bending Jack over every once and a while. I knew he seemed like someone who liked taking it." Maya teased leaning back in her chair.

Axton shook his head laughing harder now.

"Thank you Maya...seriously...thank you." He whispered.

After that day there had been several more incidents.

Maya had kept Axton's secrets, as long as he talked with her about the relationship and confessed to her everything. As long as she was in the know, she didn't mind keeping it under wraps.

Axton would go on solo missions every so often.

One time in-particular Salvador had actually asked to tag along. Maya had quickly saved the situation by asking Salvador if he wanted to go shoot Rakk with her instead.

Salvador had quickly agreed, everybody enjoyed a little bit of competitive Rakk shooting.

Axton had looked at Maya his eyes full of thanks, and she patted him on the shoulder.

She leaned in toward him.

"Tell Jack I said hey." she'd whispered in his ear before wisking away to the vehicle bay with Salvador.

She was a good friend like that.

She cared for Axton, cared about his personal life...even if it was with their arch enemy. It seemed harmless enough.

Jack hadn't come bursting into Sanctuary to kill them all yet, so she figured it was innocent enough.

Axton seemed so...happy.

Happier than she'd seen him in a very long time.

He'd been through a lot...the kid needed something to be happy about. She liked seeing him smiling again, laughing more...just living. She couldn't strip that from him.

And so she didn't. She just protected his growing secret.

They became closer because of it.

She became interested in what he had to say, she enjoyed listening to the stories he would tell.

It left her slowly believing that Jack...deep down could feel some kind of compassion. He certainly seemed to be expressing it toward Axton.

It went on like that for months.

Until...the big break happened.

That was the only way she could describe it.

A break.

A crack in the foundation of things.

They found out Jack's plans of waking the warrior. Of his daughter...a siren...being used to charge the key.

It all just happened so quickly. They had to spring to action.

They had to stop him.

Maya could hardly even recall the events of it all it was so fast.

Before the knew it, they had to kill Jack's daughter Angel to ensure he couldn't charge the vault key.

Jack snapped.

The loss of a loved one would shake anybody but it didn't just shake Jack...it destroyed him.

Maya had, had to watch as Axton saw his lover turn into a monster.

But true to his word, he'd fought on their side. Against Jack.

The fight was brutal.

Lilith was captured, Roland was killed.

That night was rough.

Maya and Axton had sat in silence on the balcony.

Axton never cried, never spoke.

He just knew.

The Jack he had seen that day was not the Jack he'd grown to love...that Jack...was gone.

Maya felt helpless as she watched her friend loose their loved one.

She'd just sat with him through the night, never speaking, just being.

But it was two days previous that had caused all this...

That was when it all came to a head.

Maya walked down the steps away from Axton's room, leaving him alone. She sunk down into a chair in the den and sighed to herself.

She could recall the events so fucking clearly...

"CHICA TO YOUR LEFT WATCH OUT!" Salvador had yelled as he unleashed a spray of bullets up over Maya's head.

Maya rolled out of the way as the big creatures tail came crashing down on the rocks surrounding the six of them.

The warrior...had been awakened.

It was massive, a god if she had ever seen one.

Maya jumped to her feet as Axton threw his turret. The machine unfolded to life and began spitting bullets at the stirring monster as it burst forth from the lava lake.

It's roar echoed through the vault, causing Maya's ears to ring with the intensity.

Maya cringed and ducked behind a rock as it sprayed molten spit over the small rocky island.

It lifted up on its two front limbs, the impact shaking the earth as it slammed them down. Axton slid around the same rock Maya had taken cover behind.

"You ok!? You hurt!?" He yelled over the bellowing roar of the Warrior.

"Yeah I'm fine! Cover Krieg! He's running in there with his buzzaxe his gunna get himself fucking killed!" She yelled frantically.

Maya phaselocked the beast's eye, burning it's socket when it tried to come down on the Psycho as he raised his weapon letting loose a crazed battle cry.

Axton tackled him to the ground, and pushed him behind cover.

"Krieg you crazy fuck USE YOUR GUN!" Axton yelled at his comrade before storming back into battle.

The beast slunk under the lava and Axton trailed it with his gun until it's head disappeared underneath the liquid.

It lurched back up in a spray of molten earth, mouth agape.

Gaige was suddenly beside him, unloading her weapon into the Warrior's chest.

The monster's eyes rolled in it's sockets and it bellowed loudly, enraged by the sight of it's own blood.

It slammed a clawed paw down onto the surface, causing the earth to shudder beneath their feet.

Maya charged in, her SMG unloading wildly.

The warrior vomited up a spray of lava, it splashed to the ground scalding Maya's leg.

Maya fell to the ground crying out in anguish.

Immediately Axton was there, machine gun ready, grabbing her and hauling her to cover before the beast could hack up more scorching liquid.

Axton set her down gently behind a large boulder.

He turned to run back to the battle.

Maya grabbed his arm sternly.

"Axton...no matter what happens...even if I don't make it out of this...just know I'm honored to call you my friend." She breathed to the commando.

He'd looked at her with flashing eyes, blood running down his forehead.

Axton simply nodded in reply and then he was gone.

Salvador had resorted to a rocket launcher and was sending punishing round after round into the Warrior's chest plate. Until finally...it gave way.

The Warrior let loose a cry that could have shaken universes. An explosion of lava like blood poured out of it's chest cavity.

It was wild with rage, a creature knowing it was dying.

It sent a massive claw flying down at his attacker, making contact with the Gunzerker.

Salvador was tossed aside like a rag doll, slamming into some stones to the left.

Axton threw the Missus again and ran to Sal.

He was bleeding bad.

Really bad.

They had to end this quickly or that beast would make short work of them all.

"KRIEG, GAIGE, ZERO WE GOTTA END THIS NOW!" Axton screamed over the roars of the Warrior.

"ON IT!" Gaige cried throwing out deathtrap.

The Warrior reared up and swatted the machine like a fly.

Deathtrap slammed into the ground in a flurry of sparks and stutters.

Gaige let out a horrified scream.

"LEAVE IT WE HAVE TO KILL THE WARRIOR WE CAN FIX DEATHTRAP LATER!" Axton yelled to her over the turret fire.

He knew how much that robot meant to her.

That was her world now laying lifelessly on the rocks.

But he needed her. There were only four of them left.

Zero whipped by Axton, appearing out of thin air. Like a ghost.

He slid onto his knee and sniped the Warrior in the left eye, then the right.

It's eyeballs burst like balloons, spilling molten blood down its face.

It screeched savagely as it thrashed blindly.

"IT IS BLIND! WE TAKE IT NOW! AIM FOR THE CHEST!" Zero called over the deafening cries of the godlike beast.

The air was filled with the sounds of rapid fire. Bullet shells clinked to the floor, clattering like chimes in the wind.

It was all instinct.

Shoot, reload, shoot, reload.

Axton aimed a final round toward the Warriors oozing chest.

He unloaded it.

The beast cried out in anguish as it's body lurched.

That was a death cry if he had ever heard one.

Axton watched as it fell, seemingly in slow motion. It's massive head slammed into the ground, jaw slack as it hit, dead eyes rolling back into it's head.

And then...it was still.

The god had fallen, it's lifeless body stretched halfway in the lava and halfway out.

Axton stood panting, still holding his smoking weapon.

Krieg looked at him with his one crazed eye as if to ask "is it really dead?".

Axton nodded slowly.

Gaige was sobbing into Krieg's arm, and he instinctively wrapped her up in his grasp, shielding her from the sight of her dead robot.

Axton ran over to Salvador, who was sitting up now, already tearing his shirt into a tourniquet to stop the bleeding from his arm.

"How you doing?" Axton asked helping him tie the material.

"Been better Amigo...been better." Salvador whispered gruffly.

Zero was already at Maya's side. He hefted her up into his arms and carried her over to the others. She slung her arms around his neck and rested her chin in the crook of his throat.

Axton was still breathing heavy as he assessed the damage to his team.

They were beaten, bruised, bleeding, but alive.

They were all alive.

That was all that mattered.

The reunion and wound assessment was short lived as Zero spoke up.

"We still have other matters to deal with. It is not over. We must take care of...him." Zero mused looking over the length of the stone island.

The man laid there groaning, cursing the vault hunters, crying out in anguish.

Jack.

The man who had woken the warrior.

The man that had tried to kill them all.

They could hear him laughing psychotically as the madness of death took him and what little bit was left of his sanity slipped away.

There was no sane man there anymore.

There was but a sad, dying, dictator who had lost everything.

Maya looked to Axton, their eyes meeting for just a moment.

Maya spoke up softly.

"Axton will stay with me. I can't watch." Maya whispered.

This was truth as it slipped out of her lips.

Though she didn't know Jack really...she felt like she did...through Axton.

She knew what was to come.

Zero nodded. The four of them turned and left Maya and Axton there.

Axton sat down beside Maya.

His face was drained of all color, his lips but a thin line across his face.

Maya put her arm around him and pulled him close.

"That isn't the man you fell in love with. That isn't Jack. Jack is gone. He's been gone for a while now." Maya whispered to him.

Axton squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth.

Maya shook him sternly.

"Axton, Axton look at me! That is not Jack! That is a shell of who Jack was, that is not Jack, you hear me! Look at me!" Maya commanded grabbing his face.

Axton was nearly hyperventilating now.

Maya could hear Jack's curses, she could hear the cocking of a gun.

"AXTON! LOOK AT ME AND ME ALONE DO NOT LOOK ANYWHERE ELSE LOOK AT ME!" She yelled cupping her hands over his ears.

Axton's body shook with sobs as tears ran down his face. He looked into Maya's eyes as she forced him to stare at her.

And then...

There was a single shot.

And silence.

Axton broke.

He let loose an anguished cry and buried his face in his hands.

Maya let her hands fall from his ears and took him into her lap.

She rocked the sputtering man slowly, rubbing his back as he fell apart on her. She'd never heard a man make such sounds. Such sounds of utter, racking defeat. Of utter sadness.

She never wanted to hear that sound again.

Not for as long as she lived.

Maya wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as the tears began to fall down her cheeks.

She felt helpless.

She pulled her knees up to her chin and cried into them.

Suddenly there was a flicker of motion, and Zero appeared.

He crossed the room slowly and sat down in the chair opposite to Maya.

"My love, you are sobbing? What is wrong? Have I done something?" Zero asked mechanically.

Maya shook her head frantically.

Every time she even got the slightest bit emotional Zero alway assumed he had done something wrong.

Bless his heart he was so lost when dealing with women, and emotion.

"May I be of assistance? Here, come sit. I shall make it better." Zero offered patting his leg.

Maya unfolded from her chair and crawled up into Zero's lap.

He wrapped his arms around her and she rest her chin on his shoulder.

Maya sniffled softly against him.

He hushed her softly, his gloved hand coming to run through her hair.

"Can you tell me what is wrong? You never cry. This is greatly concerning." Zero whispered robotically.

Maya shook her head.

"It's nothing...it's just...life...life isn't fair..." She sniffed softly.

"No siren. Life is indeed not of the fair variety. But then that is the way it must be." Zero hushed.

Maya gritted her teeth.

"Still...still it's just...it's just not fair...some people have to suffer so much..." She said her voice cracking.

"Bad things happen...to such good people..." Maya whispered.

Zero nodded.

"There will always be bad. But there will always be good. And there will always be the in-between." Zero mused.

Maya sighed against him.

Life.

Death.

Good.

Evil.

Right.

Wrong.

None of them played fair.

None of them.


	2. The Book of Monsters

The Book of Monsters

Axton blinked in the darkness.

At some point he had finally fallen asleep.

That hadn't lasted long though...he was awoken by nightmares.

The sounds of the Warrior roaring, the sounds of that final gunshot...

Axton felt sick to his stomach.

He choked back the urge to vomit up the small amount of soup he'd managed to force down. He slowly sat up in bed.

He could still hear the pouring rain outside and the distant booming of thunder as more storms rolled down the landscape.

He breathed out slowly and clicked on the bedside lamp.

Maybe getting up and doing a little walking would do his body good.

He weakly swung his legs out of bed, and attempted to stand. The two days of not eating was starting to wear on his body. He felt woozy as soon as he stood.

He steadied himself gingerly, holding his arms out for balance.

God he must have been a pathetic sight.

Body weak, eyes red and puffy, face pale as the surface of Elpis.

He shook his head sadly.

He didn't care how awful he looked, it was just an outward expression of how he felt inside.

He was a mess.

Wrecked beyond hope of possible repair.

His eyes flicked across the room to the heavy looking oak door.

It looked like it should be a closet, due to it's placement...but it was anything but.

He sighed and began his unsteady maiden journey across the room.

He reached the heavy door and turned the knob gently.

He pulled the door ajar with much effort and the old hinges gave a shrill, weak creak as it yawned open.

Axton stepped inside and fumbled for the light switches.

He flicked on the first one, sending the first half of the massive room into brilliance. He flicked the second switch and the mid room lights came to life. He flicked the last one and the end room lights bathed the rest of the shadows in lighting.

He breathed out as his eyes swept over the massive laboratory.

Huge machines stood tall and menacing, hulking up to the ceilings. Wires hung like spiderwebs from the rafters, and massive glass tubes lined the walls.

The rest of the group thought this place was absolutely creepy.

And a little disgusting.

But Axton had different opinions on the matter.

The old experimentation lab was a thing of beauty to him. He'd spent countless hours in here searching through the old documents, researching what all they were testing in here so many years ago. Axton strayed inside slowly, reaching his hand out to the first massive glass tube. Inside was a full grown alpha skag, floating pickled in the fluids inside. He ran his hand over the glass, exploring the beasts form with his eyes.

Each tube held something different.

Skags, Threshers, Varkids, Rakk, Bullmongs...everything. They were morbid trophies but Axton found them fascinating.

He'd read nearly every book on the massive shelves at the back of the room. They were all instruction manuals, folders, logs of experiments, and research.

Most of the research was on trying to create hybrids, or more domesticated forms of the creatures.

Pandoran wildlife was pretty harsh, he could understand scientists wanting to find a way to tame the beasts.

Axton wandered through the lab slowly, legs feeling like cement, body feeling like he was stuck in tar.

He finally got to the largest desk in the room.

He pulled out the old desk chair and eased himself down into it, sighing out slowly.

This was his favorite place to be a lot of the time.

He liked to sit in the chair and wonder what the head scientist may have been thinking thirty years ago in that very place. In that very chair, at that very desk.

What was he mulling over in that fantastic mind of his?

Creating something fantastic.

Axton frowned to himself.

If only they had created away of going back in time...

So he could change the past.

So he could change everything that had happened...

So he could save him...

Save Jack.

Axton's breath caught in his throat as his name came to him.

There wasn't a moment he didn't think about him.

See his face, hear his voice, smell his scent.

Cinnamon. He always smelled like cinnamon.

Sweet, sharp, harsh...but good.

Axton bit his lip and closed his eyes.

If he could just go back...he could change him.

Axton felt the racking sobs bubbling up from his gut, they shook him as the tears began to fall.

He thought eventually he would just run out of tears to cry, but yet they still managed to come time and time again.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't right.

He'd finally found such a scarce thing as love...only to have it ripped away from him prematurely.

What did he do to deserve this?

To loose so much.

To feel so much pain.

To ache this badly.

Axton screamed out and slammed his fists down on the old wooden desk in rage.

The desk gave a little crack, and a pop, and suddenly a small drawer came loose from the side.

Axton looked down at the secret compartment through tearful eyes.

He'd never noticed that drawer before.

And he'd spent many hours sifting through this entire lab...but he'd never seen that.

The lock had to have come loose with his outburst of anger.

Axton slowly grabbed the drawer and pulled it all the way out.

It creaked and groaned as he pulled it out, and inside, all by itself, sat a lonely, dusty, leather bound notebook.

Axton looked around the room cautiously, as if to make sure he was really alone again.

For some reason, he automatically felt like this was something he should not know about. The book just reeked of the aroma of...secrets...and trouble.

Axton breathed in deep and gently reached in.

He curled his fingers around the small notebook and pulled it loose from the compartment, taking spiderwebs with it.

He brought it to his chin and blew the dust off the cover.

He looked over the cover once again, now that it was readable.

In scratchy letters on the front cover, there was but one word.

"Resurrection"

Axton felt his heart jump into his throat.

He should not be laying eyes on this. He should not be seeing this.

God he knew this was not something for him to be looking upon.

It felt wrong.

It felt evil.

But curiosity was getting the better of him.

He could feel his heartbeat in his ears.

Dare he open it?

Axton breathed in deep and gently cracked open the front cover.

A crack of thunder nearly made him jump right out of his skin.

Axton slammed the cover shut and looked out the large lab window. He shook his head and breathed out nervously.

It was just a book, he needed to pull it together.

Just a notebook, nothing more.

Axton thumbed his fingers under the book cover, and opened it, flipping to the first page.

There were a few scribbled words there.

_"__The off record research of Doctor Maine, Resurrection" _

That was all that was written there.

Axton felt himself trembling.

Resurrection? Was that even possible...?

What had gone on here...

Axton flipped to the first entry. It was titled labeled _"First Resurrection trials, subject, skag pup" _

Axton's eyes scanned over the page eagerly. There were very detailed diagrams first, all pertaining to a machine that the writer...who he assumed was to be Dr. Maine, simply labeled "The Waking". There were drawings, upon drawings, detailed sketches of the machine and how it was built. What part belonged where, and which piece did what.

Axton's eyes flicked up to search the room.

There it was. Right in the middle of the room, standing like a hulking beast.

Axton had never before been able to figure out what the massive thing was for. It was a massive glass tube, one end closed off, the other end had a door...where Axton now figured test subjects were shoved in. There were wires and tubes coming from the ceiling running down to The Waking. There were levers and trays and compartments all of unknown use to Axton.

His eyes wandered back to the pages.

The rest of the chapter was detailed diary entries and pictures. Recording every account of the first trials.

Axton's gaze jumped from picture to picture. Watching as they took the Skag pup, pumped it full of poison, and let it die.

_"__Subject was unresponsive and pronounced dead. The Waking was charged and the subject was strapped to the Waking bed. Subject was inserted into machine. Skag was subjected to machine for four hours. The resurrection was a success."_

Axton read the next sentence again.

Resurrection was a success.

The revived...a dead animal.

Brought it back from death.

Axton felt his breath leave him.

He thumbed through the early trials, each time the subject was a larger animal. Some of the trials were about the question of if the subject could be resurrected when the subject had suffered major organ damage. The trial was unsuccessful.

If any organ was damaged it would not work.

Doctor Maine fixed this problem by adjusting the machine. Making it possible for the machine to replace damaged innards during the process of resurrection.

There were so many trials, so many errors...so much information. Axton soaked it all in eagerly, word after word, picture after picture.

Until finally...he found himself in the next chapter.

The chapter labeled...

_"__Human Trials" _

Axton felt numb.

He wasn't sure he even wanted to continue reading.

These men...they were playing the gods.

Playing the creators.

Playing with fire.

Playing death.

But he had to know.

Was human resurrection possible? Did they succeed...?

Axton flipped the page.

The pictures sent chills down his spine.

Two dead people, both lying on tables, being prepared to go into The Waking.

_"__Subject one died of a massive heart attack. Subject two suffered bullet wound to the heart." _

_"__Subject one was put into the machine. Results were horrific. Subject lived for exactly five minutes before the coughing ensued. Coughing quickly turned into vomiting. Subject vomited up vital organs and choked. Human Trial one unsuccessful." _

_"__Subject two was put into machine. Similar results. Subject lived for ten minutes when power was raised on machine. Conclusion, the machine is not powerful enough." _

Axton felt his heart sink reading the words.

They had failed...

He bit his lip and forced himself to read onward.

The next dozen entries were all unsuccessful. The higher the power was raised the longer the subjects lived. But the machine's power had a limit. They came to a point where the power could no longer be raised.

But Doctor Maine was clever.

Axton was captivated by his drive to figure out the right recipe for a successful human resurrection. He was so determined. Just would not let failure become an option.

Axton flipped the page.

_"__Human Trials, Siren magic" _

Axton raised an eyebrow.

Siren magic?

The net chapter was dedicated to the hunt for a Siren, and how Doctor Maine believed that if the Machine was powered by a Siren the procedure would be successful. Siren's were known for powers beyond understanding. Somehow this wasn't shocking that he had come to this conclusion.

He read on, eyes feasting on pictures of a woman, dead, lying naked in preparation for the machine.

_"__I have finally found a Siren willing to aid me in the testing. Subject one of the new testing procedure was prepped for The Waking. Subject had been dead for two days. Subject died of Cancer. Subject was put into The Waking. The Siren powered the Machine as instructed. Test subject was successfully resurrected. Subject was monitored for hours. Subject was stable. So far subject has been monitored for a week, still stable and showing no signs of relapse into death. I am now recording the first successful human resurrection." _

Axton froze, staring at the small scribbled sentences.

They'd succeeded. He'd done it. He'd...brought back the dead.

With a Siren's power it was possible to bring back those who had died.

Axton kept reading, some entries were more personal than others, explaining that the first successful subject was indeed Dr. Maine's wife. His whole point in starting the trials was so he could bring her back. When he learned his wife had cancer he had begun this quest to build a machine that could re-animate the dead. Bring back loved ones.

Axton felt tears sliding down his cheeks.

He gently closed the little notebook, his hand resting on it's cover.

Everything needed to preform this procedure, was in that book.

Step by step, it explained it all.

Axton hugged the notebook to his chest and sobbed quietly.

This was the answer...and yet was he crazy enough to do it?

Could he do it?

Would he do it?

Axton had done a lot of morally questionable things...but this...this was blurring the lines between life and death. Playing with the reaper did not seem like a very sane idea.

But...but he...he could bring him back...

He could bring Jack back...

He could bring him back to life.

Axton's hands shook as he gripped the notebook.

A bolt of lightning illuminated the window and the right side of the huge machine sitting before Axton.

Axton stood shakily.

He crossed the room, notebook still in hand, and stood before The Waking.

He touched it softly.

Would it even still work?

If not...could he fix it.

Axton flipped to the technical manual of the machine.

With a little greasing up...he was certain he could get it running.

Axton stood there in the machine's shadow.

He didn't care how crazy it seemed.

He didn't care how wrong it was.

He didn't care if he was playing the gods.

He didn't care if he was cheating death.

If Dr. Maine could bring back his beloved...Axton could too.

He was going to bring Jack back to life.

The hours ticked by, and Axton worked tirelessly. The notebook sat open on the table, propped up so Axton could study it as he worked. He tightened bolts, exchanged parts, fixed leaking wires. He had to get the machine working. He had to.

Axton twisted the wrench a final time and slowly pulled himself off the ground to

assess his handy work.

For the first time in the past few days he felt...somewhat ok.

There was a hope in him...a hope that there was something that could be done to rewrite the past.

Axton threw the wrench onto the table with a loud clatter and stuffed his hands into his pajama pockets.

He hadn't changed out of his pajama's in the past two days. He hadn't showered...or eaten..or even so much as gotten out of bed.

Axton frowned deeply.

God what would Jack have said if he could have seen him like this?

Probably something along the lines of "God damn kiddo get your shit together! And take a shower, you smell like a wet bullymong."

Axton snorted to himself a small smile breaking his lips for the first time in days.

First order of business was a shower. Then food.

The shower did him good. The warm water easing away the ache a little, dispensing the tightness in his muscles.

He washed his unruly hair and shaved his chin. He scrubbed himself down and let the subs rinse away.

It almost didn't feel real.

It was like a miracle...but he doubted that was the right word for it.

He had a lot to do to prepare for this...if he was really going to go through with it.

He grimaced deeply.

This meant...grave robbing.

The Vault Hunters had buried Jack in an unmarked grave down in the old cemetery.

They may have been bandits...but they weren't heartless.

They knew if it was a marked grave...angry citizens of sanctuary would dig him up...defile the grave...things like that.

So they'd left it unlabeled.

There was no funeral. Just a burial.

Nobody talked while the deed was carried out.

There was just a mutual agreement of silence that hung in the air.

The others didn't really stay afterward.

Except Axton.

He'd stayed for a long time.

Just staring at the fresh grave.

He didn't cry for hours, just stood and stared.

But as night had fallen, the tears fell too.

So many tears were shed over that fresh dirt.

Axton felt sick just thinking about it.

Thinking about how lost he had felt...how...hollow he had felt.

She shook his head.

None of that would matter...that would all be a bitter memory after he brought him back.

Axton dried himself and threw on an old pair of jeans, and a hoodie.

He had to get some kind of food in his system. He felt ridiculously weak...and he knew he couldn't go grave robbing on an empty stomach.

Axton grimaced at the thought.

No matter how he looked at it...it was going to be a messy job.

But his will...his love...it drove him. No matter the cost...he had to try.

He sighed slowly and opened the bedroom door.

It was early morning, he'd worked straight through the night. His body was tired from the lack of sleep, but his mind was restless. He couldn't sleep. He just couldn't. There were too many factors he had to work out.

He would go tonight.

To the grave.

That he knew.

But that would be the easy part.

He needed new organs.

Fresh organs.

He knew some had to be damaged when...they shot him...

Axton swallowed hard.

He would have to go into town.

To Doctor Zed.

The Doctor... well...wasn't exactly a Doctor at all really. But the guy could patch a man up a hell of a lot better than anybody else in sanctuary.

And Axton knew the rumors of Zed being in the black market for illegal organs all too well. It was common knowledge that if you killed someone...you brought them to Zed. He always had a use for fresh organs.

According to the diagrams you fed the new organs into the machine...and it simply replaced them. How exactly Axton wasn't sure, but there was proof that however it did it, it worked.

He wasn't one to ask questions on the matter of things.

He was going on Dr. Maine's writings now. That was all he had to guide him.

His footsteps echoed down the stairwell.

He could hear the sounds of clanking pots and pans, and voices.

The rest of the crew was most likely already up. They were early risers for the most part.

With the exception of Gaige, that girl could sleep the whole day away if you let her.

Axton rounded the corner slowly.

"AMIGO YOU"RE ALIVE!?" Came Salvador's booming voice.

Axton flinched at the sudden noise and continued over to the large kitchen table.

He drew out his chair and slowly eased himself down into it.

"Yeah, yeah, how you son's of bitches doin?" Axton said gruffly cocking a weak smile.

"WE HAVE UNFERTILIZED BABY CHICKENS FOR EATING!" Krieg screamed across the table.

Axton had been around the Psycho long enough to know that meant something along the lines of "We have eggs for breakfast, would you like some?".

Axton chuckled lightly.

"I'd like some, thanks." He responded.

Krieg seemed pleased and shoved the massive plate of eggs down the long table.

Axton grabbed a plate and scooped a good portion of eggs onto it, then continued to fill it with bacon and some toast.

About that time Zero and Maya joined the morning activities.

Maya froze in place when she saw Axton at the table, trying his best to shovel as much food as possible down his throat at one time.

He looked up at her, his mouth full of food and managed a messy smile.

"Axton, you're feeling better?" She asked gently coming over and rubbing his shoulder.

He nodded slowly.

"I'm gettin there." He said shrugging.

Maya ruffled his hair.

"It's good to see you up and around again." She whispered.

Zero went about making everybody a fresh pot of coffee and for the first time in days the breakfast table seemed complete.

The food was good and the company was even better.

Axton had missed this.

Missed mornings that included lots of swearing with full mouths, and burping competitions. Krieg insisting on eating with his axe instead of real silverware and Maya casually phase locking dishes to move them out of harms way when fights and arm wrestling matches broke out.

You couldn't help but to love the misfit gang. They were rough around the edges, and loud, and downright ridiculous most the time but they were family.

Axton finished his plate, picked it up and dispensed it in the sink with a clink.

He headed for the door, pulling his hoodie up over his head. The rain was skill coming down and he knew the walk to Dr. Zed's would be a wet one.

Maya gently came up behind him as he headed for the door.

"Hey, going out?" She whispered questionably.

"Yeah. Got errands to run." Axton said shrugging.

Maya furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"Errands huh?" She questioned folding her arms.

God Maya caught onto everything.

Axton nodded.

"Yup." He answered shortly avoiding her eyes.

"What kind?" She asked slowly.

"The errand kind." Axton answered stubbornly.

Maya shook her head.

"Who runs errands on a day like this?" She whispered.

"I do apparently. I promise I'm not gunna get myself into trouble. I just need to go for a walk." Axton sighed frowning at her.

Maya nodded.

"Ok. Ok...Just be safe." She said turning to go back to the breakfast table.

Axton shut the door behind him and headed out into the gray scale world.

The rain was lighter now, falling in sheets on the barren land.

Axton jogged down the path from the castle, his boots splashing mud up his pant's legs.

He hit town and ducked underneath the canopies of shops to keep out of the rain.

Sanctuary was a ghost town, the citizens all huddled in their homes to keep out of the rain. There were lights from fires in homes, and the sounds of music flowing through the cracks under doors.

The city had rejoiced in the events of the past few days. Celebrated. Even in the dreary weather there was reason for joy.

For them at least.

Axton frowned as he thought about it.

They celebrated the death of a man that they didn't even know. They didn't know him. They didn't understand.

Death, no matter the circumstances is nothing to celebrate.

Axton grimaced and hurried on toward Zed's.

He entered the open metal door and pushed his hood back, squinting in the bright light.

He walked into the foul smelling room and came upon Zed, who was bust pulling bullets out of a man.

He held the man down as he screamed.

Zed jabbed the pliers into the wound and yanked out the little piece of metal. He dropped it into the metal tray and clapped his hands together.

He went about stitching the bleeding man up and then stood back to look over his work.

It was only then that Zed noticed Axton standing there.

"Axton! Boy watcha been up to! Haven't seen you in a while!" Zed exclaimed as he helped the man up.

"Now Jim keep those clean, they start oozing you come on back. Try avoiding gettin all shot up again." Zed said wagging his finger at the man.

The man nodded and left the shop slowly.

"Sooo how can I help ya." Zed asked crossing his arms over his aproned chest.

Blood was splattered down the front of it like a badge of honor. No doctor Axton had ever encountered ran around with a butchers apron on, except Zed.

Only on Pandora.

"Gotta ask a favor." Axton said lowly.

Zed raised his eyebrows, he knew that tone all too well.

That was the tone of someone who wanted something...but wanted it to be kept secret.

"Whats that?" Zed asked curiously.

"I need organs." Axton whispered.

"I got those. Which ones?" Zed asked cocking an eyebrow.

"All of them." Axton replied.

Zed chuckled and beckoned to the young man, prodding him to follow.

Axton looked back at the door and then followed the Doctor's heels.

Zed lead him down a long hallway and then fished a set of keys out of his pocket.

He unlocked the heavy door and opened it up.

A freezer.

It was a massive room sized freezer.

"Let's go shoppin, shall we?" Zed chuckled rubbing his hands together.

After an hour Axton had a full cooler full of fresh organs and a very pleased Zed following him around like a puppy dog.

Zed enjoyed sifting through organs way too much.

Axton paid him well.

He had money to spare from looting, so that wasn't an issue really.

Zed seemed more than happy to help.

Zed never asked what they were for, and Axton mentally thanked him for that.

He liked a man who didn't ask many questions when in situations like this.

Axton thanked him many times over, and was gone into the rain.

When Axton returned, the house was particularly quiet.

He slipped in silently and headed off to his room.

The better he got these into the lab...the better.

He needed to put them into laboratory freezer as quickly as possible.

Axton snuck into his room and shut the door quietly.

He packed the cooler into the small freezer in the lab and sighed.

He was really going through with this...

He was really going to do this.

Did this make him crazy?

Did this make him less human?

Did this make him morally wrong?

How dare he think he could play with this kind of power...

But...he was too far in.

He'd do anything to have him back...even if it meant doing the unthinkable.

A knock to the laboratory door snapped Axton from his thoughts.

Axton yelped and slammed the door to the freezer shut.

Maya stood in the doorframe a curious look on her face.

"I knocked on the bedroom door, you didn't answer. Sorry didn't mean to startle you." Maya said narrowing her eyes at him.

Axton leaned away from the freezer and looked at her nervously.

"Naw you're good...just didn't expect company." Axton said rubbing the back of his head.

"You been cleaning up here or what?" Maya said nodding toward the machine in the middle of the room.

Axton shrugged.

"Yeah. Just...tuning up some of the equipment is all." He said trying to act nonchalant.

Maya's eyes swept up the machine and back down it.

"What's it do?" She questioned looking back to Axton.

"Dunno. Pretty cool piece of medical equipment though. But I never did figure out what it does." Axton lied.

Maya crossed her arms and nodded.

"How'd the errands go?" She asked.

Axton shrugged again.

"Good I guess." He mused.

She looked at him thoughtfully.

"I know when you're lying Axton." She said suddenly.

Axton's eyes snapped up to meet her amber orbs.

"What are you really doing up here?" She whispered.

Axton sighed and approached her.

He made to walk right by her and avoid the question, but he paused for a moment.

"I don't know...something crazy." He whispered before brushing past her and leaving the room.


	3. Only Monsters Rob Graves

Hey there, Ashes here! Just wanted to thank y'all for the kind reviews on this story! :) Also I apologize for it being pretty dark and not exactly smutty in the beginning. This story is kinda more a love story than I expected it to be. But I promise smut eventually!

Only Monsters Rob Graves

Axton stood at the window. The rain was still coming down pretty hard.

The wind was blowing sheets of it upon the windows of the bedroom. Slapping the water against the glass harshly.

He breathed out nervously.

He looked to the middle of the room. To the collection of objects he could only describe as... a grave robbing kit.

A shovel, a body bag dragged out of the lab, a raincoat, rain boots, and a lantern...yeah definitely a grave robbing kit.

God grave robbing sounded so awful.

Axton shuddered.

He'd seen a lot of death before...but this...this was in an entirely different ball park.

It was well passed two in the morning. He'd spent the hours waiting for the others to go to bed, and mustering up the courage to go through with it.

He could do this. He had to.

Axton took a deep breath in and started across the room.

He slung the heavy black raincoat over his shoulders, and pulled on the rain boots.

He picked up the shovel and bag, then headed for the door.

If he was going to go. He had to go now.

He shut the door to the house softly, trying his best to be as quiet as possible and then looked out into the rainy night.

He stood in the stoop, watching the water drain off from the roof, drizzling down in patterned sheets.

The dripping of rain was all that kissed his sensitive ears.

He was going straight to hell for this.

He took a deep breath, and ventured out into the night, raincoat flapping around his calves, boots sloshing in the overly wet earth. His mouth was but a thin line on his face, his breathing heavy.

A poor, lost soul, mad with loss, mad with determination...or maybe just plain mad in general.

The cemetery loomed at the bottom of a great hill. The road twisting and turning down toward it. Like a great serpent leading those to their final resting place.

No.

Not final, Axton though dazedly.

A wicked grin parted his lips.

The gods thought they could take, could steal as they pleased. No...no...he would change that.

He would defy them.

He could change the chain of events that life held. If this worked...he could bring others back. He could bring those that deserved a second chance back from the other realm.

He would help anybody that was worthy of the great machine.

But only those that understood it. Only those that respected it.

Some would shun it, he knew this.

But that was because they did not see...did not see it's true beauty.

Axton laughed maniacally to himself.

God it was beautiful.

Axton's paced slowed steadily, each step waning until finally he stood anchored to the spot.

There it was.

Lightning jetted across the sky, lighting up the scene before him.

A large iron fence stood between him, and the graves.

It loomed over his head like a living creature.

The protector of the graveyard.

Axton looked up at the wicked trees seeming to hover over the cemetery possessively.

Their branches hung like boney fingers, clawing at the sky.

Axton felt chills run down his spine.

He shook his head and pushed the gate open. It squealed sickly as it allowed him passage.

He stepped carefully, avoiding walking on gravestones. His feet sloshed in the wet earth, creating nasty suction noises with each step.

Axton paused for a moment.

His eyes squinting in the now pouring rain.

He gently pushed the tip of the shovel into the earth, staring down at the plot beneath his feet.

The massive wicked tree was the only marker the grave had.

The fresh dirt had been melted away by the constant rain.

Axton felt a lump form in his throat.

He'd get him back tonight.

No matter the cost.

Axton slung the body bag over a nearby headstone and gripped the heavy shovel in both hands.

He looked down at the unmarked grave as the rain fell around him. Puddling around his feet, soaking into the ground.

Thunder grumbled just over the mountains to his right.

There was no moon tonight. The lantern served as his only lighting in the darkness. It was a black night. Black as death...

Axton grimaced and set the lantern down next to the grave site.

He lifted the shovel and more lightening flickered across the wicked sky.

Axton breath out.

"I'm bringing you home Jack." He whispered as he plunged the shovel into the earth with all his strength.

And he began to dig.

Minutes passed.

Hours passed.

Axton looked up from the hole in the earth, muddy, wet, and exhausted.

His arms ached from shoveling over and over again.

They felt like they may fall off at any moment.

He wiped the rain from his brow with the back of his hand and breathed out raggedly.

He was mad with determination now.

Pushing his body too hard, forcing it even when he knew he shouldn't.

He knew this wasn't going to be easy...evil deeds never were.

He cried out weakly and thrust the shovel down hard.

It thunked against something hard. Axton paused and looked down.

The moment of truth had come upon him.

He could stop. He could just shove all the dirt back in and forget he had ever thought this was a good idea.

No.

He would not stop.

He wouldn't...until Jack was alive.

Axton scraped the dirt back with the shovel blade revealing the plain wood of the coffin.

He outwardly groaned.

He'd refused to look at Jack when they'd buried him.

He just couldn't handle it.

And now here he was.

He'd have to see him in death...before he could see him in life again.

Axton felt like he was going to vomit from the nerves.

He carefully popped the coffin latch, took a deep breath...and opened it.

He stood still for a moment.

Not sure whether to cry or to be horrified.

There he was.

The presence of death itself.

All the color was gone from him.

His eyes were closed almost peacefully...it really just looked like he was sleeping.

Axton reached a hand down carefully, almost fearing he'd suddenly wake up.

Everything about this was wrong.

So very fucking wrong.

The racing of his heart and the bile threatening to come up from his stomach told him so.

He was absent of his mask.

Something that was far out of the norm.

He'd lost it in the fight...and Axton had taken it to the castle. For fear it would be destroyed. It was gruesome, but Axton just couldn't bare the thought of some bandits using the mask as a fucking trophy, or an object of mockery.

Axton had seen the scars before.

Months back.

He'd asked Jack why he wore the mask.

It was just a curious question really, but it turned to guilt when Jack got emotional about it.

He was sensitive about his face.

Weeks later, he'd taken the mask off for Axton and explained.

Axton remembered kissing his scars and telling him he was gorgeous.

Jack had said nothing, but the kiss he gave Axton had said it all.

Jack stopped sleeping with the mask on after that.

Aton relished in the good memories fondly and then looked back down into the coffin.

They'd make more memories like that.

Axton reached down into the earth and hauled him up, carefully hoisting the limp form up over his shoulder.

He laid him gently in the body bag and began filling in the grave. He patted the earth with the shovel and then lifted Jack into his arms, cradling him like precious cargo.

It was easier to handle once his face was covered.

Axton just kept telling himself he was sleeping.

A deep, deep sleep.

But it was only sleep.

Nothing more.

Axton must have looked like some kind of horror, trudging up the hill, body slung over both arms, rain falling around him.

It was all worth it.

It was worth it for him.

Meanwhile:

Maya carefully shut the door to her room.

She left a sleeping Zero sprawled out on the bed snoring softly in the throws of heavy slumber.

She had business to attend to.

Every since that day's encounter with Axton she couldn't rest.

Something strange was going on with the commando...and she was going to find out what.

She knew he was depressed and lost...but today suddenly he had changed. That sorrow and mourning had morphed into determination and secrets. But...why?

She had to find out.

Maya trudged up the stairs and slowly opened Axton's door. She peered inside.

Nothing.

He wasn't there.

She chewed her lip and narrowed her eyes.

The laboratory?

Maya slunk across the room and pried the lab door open. All the lights were on...but no Axton.

Maya looked around cautiously.

What the fuck was he hiding?

She immediately headed over to the Freezer, wherever Axton was, she didn't want him returning and finding her snooping.

She jerked the door open and looked inside.

She pulled out one of the white plastic little packages. It was labeled "Kidney".

Another was labeled "Heart", "Large intestine", "small intestine" and so on.

Maya placed the little package back, confusion spreading across her face.

"Organs?" She whispered lowly.

She turned slowly to look at the massive machine sitting center in the room.

"Bullshit he doesn't know what this is for..." She whispered walking up to it.

And that was when she noticed it.

The little leather notebook, sitting closed on the desk just beside the machine.

Maya knitted her eyebrows together.

Was Axton keeping a diary or something?

She picked the small book up and read the front slowly.

"Resurrection..." She whispered her eyes widening.

She frantically opened the book, flipping through the pages, seeing flashes of dead test subjects.

She covered her mouth to stifle a gasp as she fell on the last chapter.

And as if on cue, there was a thud to her right.

Maya wheeled around, eyes wavering in her sockets.

There Axton stood, soaking, muddy, rain jacket slung around his shoulders...holding a body bag in his strong arms.

A crack of lightening illuminated his figure.

His face was lacking of emotion.

Hard, determined...frightening.

Maya cried out softly in shock.

Axton's expression was dark as he looked at her.

They stood there for a moment staring each other down.

Neither spoke, nor moved.

As if waiting for the other to do something.

To end the standoff that seemed to last an eternity.

"God...God no Axton-Axton you can't!" She stuttered looking to him and then to figure in his arms.

Axton said nothing and entered the room.

"Axton...Axton listen to me...you cannot...cannot do this." She whispered as Axton laid the bag down on the long table next to the machine.

She stepped backward fearfully.

"No...No I can't do this...not without your help." Axton whispered looking at her sternly.

Maya's mouth gaped open a little as she tried to form words, but everything was escaping her miserably.

"Axton what the fuck are you talking about...?" Maya whispered.

Axton grabbed the notebook off the table and waved it in front of him.

"Doctor Maine, the scientist that this lab belonged to, he did it Maya...he brought the dead back. He lost his wife...and he brought her _back._" Axton whispered his voice crazed as he looked at her.

Maya scrambled away from him.

"Axton, you can't be serious. That Machine...that's what it does?" She whispered looking to the large mechanical beast.

Axton ran his hand down the entrance to it.

"Yes...this..this is The Waking. He designed her...this machine...this machine is a miracle Maya." Axton mused staring dazedly at the machine.

Maya shook her head.

"No, No Axton that machine is playing god, and you have no fucking business in that! Have you gone mad!?" She cried desperately.

Axton chuckled lowly.

"I don't know...maybe I have. If the Doctor can do it...I can too...but the machine...The Waking...it is not strong enough by itself...for a human resurrection to be successful...it needs a Siren's power." Axton explained slowly, his large, pleading eyes resting on Maya expectantly.

Maya just stared at him.

She did not say a word for a very long time. The pause of silence hung over the pair like heavy drapes.

"You expect me to help bring Jack back from the dead." She whispered softly.

Axton looked at the floor and then to the body bag on the table.

"Maya...please...it's...it's my last hope." Axton whispered.

"Axton...what you are asking me to do...it's it's unthinkable...and how do you even know it will work?" She sighed looking at him and shaking her head.

Axton clutched the notebook desperately.

"It will work. I know it will...I have to try..." Axton said softly.

Maya cursed under her breath and looked away from the commando, crossing her arms across her thin chest.

"Axton...it's- it's not natural..." She whispered.

"I don't care. I'll be the one pulling the switch. I'll be the one going to hell for it, if it comes down to that." Axton said down casting his eyes.

Maya sighed and brushed her fingers through her wispy blue hair.

She looked back to the commando, his eyes begging her, needing her, waiting for a response.

"You really love him don't you..." She whispered looking at him with soft eyes.

"Yeah... I do." He whispered sadly.

He avoided further eye contact with Maya.

He shouldn't have put this on her.

She had been such a good friend to him through all of this. She had kept his darkest secrets wrapped and tucked away from other's prying eyes.

How dare he ask so much of her.

It was too much.

Too sudden.

Too awful.

Friend's do not ask friend's to deal in the darkest of arts.

Maya made a small unsure noise under her breath. The kind one makes when tossing over an idea in their head. The kind of idea any moral soul knows is wrong doing at its very finest. But you still consider it. The tell tale battle between good and bad. Just because something can be done...should it be?

Maya's eyes flicked up to the table with the body bag splayed across it.

She flicked her wrist and a small energy ball began to form, glowing forth from her open palm. It licked and swayed as it hugged to her hand. Like a candle flame in the open air.

Her tattoos glowered weakly and slowly she looked up to Axton.

He was watching her with intent eyes, waiting, watching...hoping.

"Well...Vault Hunters aren't exactly known for playing on the safe side of the tracks, huh?" She mused looking over at Axton slowly.

Axton looked at her hopefully.

"But Axton...if anything goes wrong...you gotta be prepared to stop. You have to be prepared for anything...even if this doesn't work. We have no idea what is going to happen." Maya whispered sternly.

Axton nodded darkly.

"I understand. I take full responsibility...for whatever happens." Axton whispered softly and then paused for a moment.

He rested his hand on the body bag.

"No matter what." Axton finished breathing out slowly.

His whole body felt like it was coming apart with nerves.

His eyes flicked up to meet Maya's intense gaze.

Her energy was radiating around her like christmas lights. Flashing and swaying, sending light dancing over the laboratory and all it's horrid machines. All it's beasts that played god, and made the impossible...possible.

Axton called it a miracle, she called it a monstrosity. But either way, there in front of her stood her best friend and companion. She'd help him until the very end. She'd do anything for him.

Even if it meant this.

"Just tell me what to do. You're running this show." Maya sighed looking at him, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"You're the mad scientist." She chuckled.

Axton smiled at her widely.

The small sense of humor was strained, and nervous but there was the Maya he knew and loved. The Maya that loved him.

That she did.

She loved Axton, in a way that only best friends can.

Maya shot him a dark look.

"Whatever happens though. I'm here Axton." She said clenching her fists as they glowed blue.

His lips were but a thin line across his strong face.

He nodded understandingly.

Axton looked to the machine, and then to the body bag.

It was time.

And with that...Axton was in motion.

He threw open the machines door with a loud clatter.

He shoved the notebook in his back pocket and approached the table.

He ripped the body bag's zipper down, allowing it to yawn open.

Maya felt a little sick as the bag opened.

She'd seen plenty of death...but this made her stomach turn.

Axton lifted Jack into his arms, his limp head jerking back as he did so. The bullet wound in his chest gaped, dried blood still clinging to his clothing.

Axton seemed unfazed as he tenderly laid Jack's body down on the table of the machine.

Axton paused for a moment, his hand gently touching Jack's cold palm.

Axton slammed the door closed and looked to Maya.

He grabbed two heavy wires connected with some kind of handle and handed it to Maya.

"When I say so. You let loose of everything you have." Axton said darkly.

Maya simply nodded meekly.

She was trying to ignore the grizzly scene through the glass windows of The Waking.

This was the very man that had tried to kill them numerous times. The man that had tried to destroy this planet. The man who had done more evil than the six vault hunters all combined. And here they were...going to bring him back. Would he be the same? Would they just be awakening the same evil they had killed off?

Maya looked away in dismay.

Axton was filling a tray with the fresh organs, a look of determination splattered across his face as he was up to his elbows in blood.

Axton looked to Maya again.

"Do not let it go until I tell you." He instructed his eyes sparkling with something dark. Something intense.

Something that Maya had never seen in him before.

It was frightening and dangerous.

Axton grabbed the massive handle of the monstrous mechanical beast and heaved it down. The machine gave a sickening growl as its mechanics whirred to life. The wires at the top illuminated and sparked slightly, sending little embers down on Axton's feet.

Axton pushed up the first lever and the tray of organs was sucked into the machine. It began making hissing sounds and the glass fogged, shielding everything inside from prying eyes. Axton paused on the second lever, waiting as the machine worked.

Maya kept her eyes fixed solely on Axton, gripping the handle for dear life.

Her breath was coming in short pants, her nerves getting the best of her as she waiting for the signal from her counterpart.

Suddenly the light bar on the machine flashed green.

Axton pushed up the second lever and the noises coming from the machine intensified.

Axton looked to Maya, eyes wild.

"Get ready." He snarled, his palm wavering over the third, and final lever.

The lights on the machine flashed green and it gave off a buzzer-like noise.

"NOW!" Axton bellowed pointing to Maya.

Blue energy flamed around her body, exploding in a massive ball of light. Her hands seared the handle as she gripped it, sending massive amounts of energy through the wires. The entire machine was illuminated blue and glass tube was bathed in light.

Axton shielded his eyes from the blinding light and then looked into the glass chamber, body shaking, breath ragged.

The glass chamber glowered blue as the energy entered it.

The blue flow of flames entered Jack's body with a jolt, engulfing him, taking him.

Axton was barely breathing, his eyes fixated on the chamber.

And then...movement.

Jack's fingers flinched, ever so slightly, but the movement was there.

Axton drew in a sharp breath.

Jack's fingers curled and straightened, as if testing the life now flowing through his bones.

His hand lifted, grabbing at the air, fisting around something that didn't exist.

It hung there, stopping, pausing...

Suddenly Jack's eyes flew open, his lone blue orb glowering with energy.

His back lurched up, and his head tilted back, mouth agape as he let loose a bone chilling yell.

Axton stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

Maya looked to him with concerned, glowing eyes.

"AXTON SHOULD I STOP?" She yelled in panic.

Axton slammed his hands down on the table.

"NO DON'T STOP!" He bellowed over Jack's screams.

Jack's hands scraped on the table, his eyes wild and frightened.

"JUST A LITTLE LONGER!" Axton insisted his eyes horrified.

Maya's energy was engulfing the room, flickering and growing like a living beast.

Jack's yells seemed to be growing in intensity.

"AXTON SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HEAR HIM!" Maya pleaded.

"NOT YET!" Axton snapped desperately.

Jack's body bucked as the energy overflowed around him.

The machine was sparking like mad, its mechanics whirring loudly, gears clattering together as it overworked itself.

Then finally...the lights on the machine began flashing green.

"CUT IT!" Axton screamed.

Maya let loose of the handle and the blue energy flowing around her cut off with a flash of light.

Maya stepped away from the now smoking machine, hands shaking with fear.

Axton ran over to the machine and pulled the doors open frantically.

He heaved the table out, and moved back quickly as Jack lurched off the table and clattered to the floor.

Jack hit the floor hard, busting his lip in the process.

He sat up dazedly, touching his fingers to his lip and coming away with blood.

He seemed confused and dazed by the sight of his own blood.

Axton took a step toward him cautiously.

"Jack..." Axton tried slowly attempting to move closer to the panicked other man.

Jack looked up at Axton with wild, fearful eyes.

He scrambled backward frantically.

"W-What happened!? Where the fuck am I!?" Jack bellowed attempting to stand, but his weak legs gave out on him and he ended up crashing to the floor again.

"Jack! JACK! Calm down...it's me...Axton!" Axton said, eyebrows furrowed together in concern.

Jack looked at him in confusion.

"But I...but where...where are they?" Jack sputtered looking from side to side in panic.

"Jack, it's just me and Maya...there's nobody else here. Who are you talking about?" Axton pushed kneeling down in front of Jack, approaching him as if approaching a wild animal.

Jack looked at Axton, his one good eye wide and frightened.

"The keepers." Jack whispered frantically.

Axton frowned deeply.

What the hell was he talking about?

He would touch on that subject later...he was sure there would be many questions from the reanimated man. He had just crossed the thresh hold from death back to the living. Axton could only imagine what kinds of things he had seen...

"No. No. Jack, it's me Axton, don't you remember?" Axton pressed.

Jack looked at him, slow realization slipping over his face.

"Axton...?" Jack whispered slowly.

A smile broke across Axton's face.

"Yes, Axton. I brought you back Jack." Axton whispered to the panicked man.

Jack frowned.

"Brought...brought me back?" Jack whispered slowly.

"Yes. Jack...you were...dead." Axton said softly.

Jack looked even more confused.

He looked down at himself, hands absentmindedly touching his chest, fingers grabbing at his tattered shirt.

"Dead?...I was dead?..." Jack questioned slowly, looking at Axton with hurt and confusion in his eye.

Axton nodded slowly.

"But, but that doesn't matter. I brought you back. Do you...do you remember me?...do you remember...us?" Axton pressed cautiously, concern spreading across his face.

Jack just stared at him blankly.

Axton frowned and slowly reached out to touch Jack's face.

Jack's expression softened at the touch.

"A-Axton...AXTON!" Jack seemed to be jolted back into reality, his memory flooding back to him.

Jack clambered to his knees and practically fell into Axton's lap, throwing his arm's around Axton's heavy shoulders.

Axton nearly fell backwards, arms returning the embrace put upon him.

Axton's big fingers came up to run through Jack's mud caked hair.

Axton felt the tears sliding down his cheeks as he held the other man tightly.

Jack buried his face in the crook of Axton's neck, shivering and shaking. Axton sobbed into Jack's shoulder, unashamed of the emotion coming over him in waves.

Jack was warm against him.

Axton could feel Jack's pounding heartbeat against his chest.

He was dirty and wet.

But he was warm

He was alive.


	4. Two Monsters and Hyperion Yellow

Two Monsters and Hyperion Yellow

Maya looked on with soft, understanding eyes. She knew the two needed their space. The scene drew up emotions from the Siren that were unexpected and foreign.

She drew in a deep, whisper of a breath and let her shoulders fall.

She was exhausted from the exert of energy. Her muscled felt stretched, limp, and used. She felt heavy, tired.

"Axton..." She whispered, her voice light and strained.

Axton looked up to meet Maya's tired eyes as he continued to cradle Jack.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me." She breathed tiredly, looking over the two men softly.

Axton simply nodded and offered her a small, grateful smile. A smile that voiced everything he could not express through words. A smile that addressed this favor that could never possibly be repaid. A favor beyond what friends ask of each other. He could never be able to thank her properly, not in all the days that he lived. This went beyond the lines of friendship. Maya was a saint.

"Thank you." Axton whispered, eyes wet with shed tears, voice cracking at the words.

Maya smiled tiredly at the commando.

"I will check on you in the morning if you want?" She said her eyes so very soft, motherly, loving.

Axton nodded.

"I'd like that." He assured her.

With a small nod, Maya turned and was gone.

A heavy silence was beginning to settle over the room now. Seconds before it had been filled with terrible, terrible sounds...and now everything seemed to still. The machine laid dormant again, its inner workings dying, the life fading from them.

Jack made no sound as Axton held him.

His fingers dug into Axton's shirt harshly, as if he feared that Axton could fade away at any second.

Axton made a move to lean away and Jack's hands clenched frantically.

"N-no, no, don't leave me..." Jack stuttered, fear rising like bile up from his throat.

Axton rubbed a gentle hand over the crumpled man's shoulder blades.

"I'm not. I promise. I'm not going anywhere." Axton whispered soothingly.

"Can you stand?" Axton asked softly.

Jack shook his head pitifully.

"That's ok, I've got you...let's get you cleaned up, ok?" Axton whispered in Jack's mud caked ear.

Jack nods again, words failing him miserably.

Axton gently snakes his strong arms around the thin man, cradling him tenderly, lifting him to his heavy chest as if he weighs nothing.

He's so filthy.

His hair stiff with mud in some places, and soaked with water in others. Dirty water streaked down Axton's wrists and dribbled off his elbows.

He leaves a trail of muddied water in his wake as he takes Jack away.

Takes him away from the machine that birthed him to life once more.

Jack weakly hangs his arms around Axton's thick neck, his eyes barely open, lids falling over them tiredly.

His body is alive, blood rushing through his veins...but he's so weak. So very weak, and so very tired.

Exhausted, is a better word. His body strained from the overworking of life being thrust back upon it. His body was dormant, done, ready for decay...and now it was forced into hosting a soul once more.

Jack's tired blue eye looked up at the commando through dirty locks of hair. Axton's eyes were tired too.

But tired for entirely different reasons.

Exhausted from the worry. Exhausted from the thought that Jack would not be returned to him.

Exhausted from the thought that Jack may not be able to stay. He was alive. Axton had taken all the right steps, followed the book as close as possible...but would it be enough? Could something still go wrong?

Could he possibly lose Jack again?

Axton's fingers tightened on the slender man as he carried him to the bathroom.

He didn't want to think like that...but he had to. He had to be prepared for anything. The first few hours were crucial. He had to make sure Jack was carefully monitored.

Axton pulled the shower door back and carefully turned the nobs, all while cautiously juggling Jack's weakened form.

When the water ran warm Axton gently set Jack down on the bathroom floor. Jack looked like a frightened child, unwilling to leave Axton's protective arms. Terrified of everything around him. The living world was alien now, and he was out of place.

Jack's fingers clutched Axton's shirt for dear life, eye wide as he looked at Axton, unwilling to let the commando's grip leave him.

Axton offered him a soft, genuine smile.

"I'm right here. Just gotta get you out of these clothes." Axton whispered to the scared man.

Jack's fingers reluctantly loosened, eye searching Axton, as if to make sure he was being truthful.

Axton reached down and stripped the jacket off Jack's shoulders. He dropped it onto the floor with a wet, sick, undesirable, slap. His clothes were wet with earth, blood, and who knew what else.

The stench of death clung to them like a heavy drape.

The smell alone was enough to make any sane soul gag.

Axton did his best to ignore the smell.

But it was putrid, and only seemed to grow in intensity as he pulled back the clothing layers.

Axton gently tugged Jack's shirt off, Jack weakly lifting his thin arms, allowing the soaked clothing to leave him.

The shirt was the worst.

The last shred of clothing between Jack's flesh and Axton eyes.

It had soaked up the worst of the blood from the gunshot. What was once orange was now a dark, threatening, maroon.

Axton balled it up and tucked it underneath the growing pile of shed garments. Jack didn't need to see that.

Not now at least.

Jack sat hunched over, struggling to keep his eyes open, a pitiful frown set upon his face as Axton slipped each of his shoes off his chilled feet.

Axton was gentle in the taking of clothing. Slowly taking each piece from Jack's now shivering body.

Axton hauled Jack up by his shoulders and let him lean heavy on him as he drew down his tattered jeans and undergarments.

Jack whimpered in the cold, legs shaking violently, threatening to go out again.

Axton grabbed him protectively to stop him from teetering over.

Jack's lip was still bleeding a little from the first spill, he didn't need another one.

Axton gently sat Jack down in the shower's streaming water, steam now billowing up from the tile flooring.

Jack leaned hard on the stoney colored tiling and his body seemed to unravel at the offering of warmth.

Axton looked over Jack with loving, concerned eyes. Watching him as if he were a newborn child, and all the world was dangerous to him.

Axton looked down at himself, he was just as disgusting as Jack had been. The stench of grave robbing clung to him like an unwanted guest.

He grimaced and began stripping out of his clothes.

He added them to the stinking pile in the bathroom corner and joined Jack in the arm, running water.

He closed the glass door and gently eased himself down into a crouching position beside Jack.

Axton gently pulled Jack into his lap, allowing him to settle between his knees and lean hard on his broad chest.

"There. Better?" Axton whispered softly in Jack's ear.

Jack nodded slowly.

The motion was weak, and strained, his neck heavy with the need for rest.

His body begged for it.

Axton lathered Jack's hair with shampoo and massaged the suds into his wispy brown locks. Jack sighed outwardly at the advancement.

He seemed to melt into Axton's touch.

Put at ease by his gentle, working fingers.

Axton continued down Jack's body, soaping him, washing him, the memories of the night washing down the drain in the form of muddied, crimson water.

Once Jack and himself were clean Axton just allowed the moment to hang there.

Jack rested his cheek into the crook of Axton's neck, as if needing to be closer to him. Not wanting to be any farther from Axton than this.

Needing to feel the commandos heartbeat thrumming just underneath the flesh. Needing to feel that he is here, present in the very moment Jack needed him most.

Axton soothes his hand through Jack's wet, freshly clean hair.

He smells like lavender.

Maya's borrowed shampoo because Axton had run out and was too lazy to buy more meant form men. So thick, fragrant, lavender it was.

If Jack had been himself, Axton was sure he'd have made some snide comment about it. Axton wished he would.

Jack's snark was greatly missed at the moment as he laid crumpled against Axton's chest.

Axton immediately wondered...if Jack would ever be the same. Or would he just be the shell of a man that crossed the line between life and death and saw the horrors and would never recover from that.

What had he seen?

On the other side...

Axton frowned against Jack's scalp.

Only time would tell if Jack would ever really be ready to explain what all he'd experienced after the living world.

Axton had no way of knowing that Jack that he had brought back. Would he be the Jack Axton had fallen for in the first place? Or the Jack that had spiraled downward into a place of insanity that he could not be dragged from.

Axton refused to let that happen again.

He would not let that darkness take Jack again.

Axton's fingers ran down Jack's slender shoulders thoughtfully, exploring the form beneath.

Jack was thin. Much thinner than Axton had remembered.

Jack had been formidable when he and Axton had first collided what felt like so long ago. His toned abdomen heaving against Axton's in the front seat of the Hyperion vehicle.

Axton's palms had run up his torso, bundling Jack's clothing around the tops of his wrists, pushing it up the CEO's chest.

Jack had snarled out some comment about "_You like what you see kiddo?" _and Axton had ignored it.

Back then he'd still hated Jack.

Hated him and wanted him in the same breath and the matter of the fact gave him a sick feeling in his stomach. Jack had still made him feel a little ill when he thought too much about it.

But in that front seat, in that moment, where Jack sat spread across Axton's lap like a king to a throne, Axton had forgotten that hate.

Axton had pressed Jack into the glovebox meanly, bigger and heavier than the Hyperion overlord. But Jack had pushed back, strong, unpredictable and just as fucking mean. The first kiss was a power struggle. Teeth bumping a little too hard, tongues forcing down throats, hands grasping hair and flesh alike just attempting to find something to hold onto.

Axton remembered the bruises from that time. They'd blossomed like ugly purple and red flowers across his back, his shoulders, and his torso where Jack had kneed him and he wasn't exactly sure if had been an accident or not.

But god he remembered how desperate Jack had looked. How he had completely come apart for Axton's viewing pleasure as the commando had stroked his hard flesh feverishly. How he'd forced the CEO to come so hard he'd practically passed out. Axton buried to the hilt in Jack's ass, the ring of flesh squeezing around his base over and over again as Jack had come all over the commando's chest, the window and his own shirt. It was so fucking shameless.

Axton smiled fondly into Jack's hair.

"You need sleep. Let's get you to bed." Axton breathed tiredly.

He helped Jack up, but ultimately decided on just carrying the pitiful man again. Getting him to the bed would have taken ages if let walk on his own two feet.

Axton laid Jack down on the heavy comforters and fetched a t-shirt and some sweat pants.

They were a little too big for the thin man, but the would have to do.

Axton pulled the sweatpants onto Jack with little help from the other man, who was already drifting in and out of sleep.

Axton tucked the covers around Jack's form and the tired man curled into the warm bedding, sighing out slowly.

Axton slipped in beside him, arms curling around the slighter man's already sleeping form. Axton knew Jack was already gone into the folds of sleep, but he just felt the need to say it.

"I missed you..." Axton whispered against the shell of Jack's ear.

Jack did not stir, nor hear the comment.

Maybe it was better that way.

Axton knew it was said.

And god was it ever true.

Axton's eyes rolled beneath their lids.

His body fought away the oncoming awakening with all that it had. His soul was desperate to cling to the sleep that he had not had in days. The absence of sleep had left his body struggling along, empty and hollow. Tired and needing to just...sleep.

Axton's eyelids fluttered open slowly, softly, weakly.

Morning sun blurred his vision and caused him to blink rapidly. He winced at the unexpected brightness.

A small grumble of a moan reminded him that he was not alone in the large bed.

Axton looked over to the opposite side of the bed, the side closest to the window.

The lump of blankets was bathed in pearly light, illuminating the moment in yellow rays.

The pile of comforters groaned and shifted slowly.

Axton reached over to pull back the covers ever so slightly, only to be met by the squinted up glare of a freshly awoken Jack.

Jack's eyes pulled shut and he curled under the blankets away from the new sunlight.

He rubbed the man through the comforters, touching Jack's shoulder lightly.

"You hungry?" Axton asked leaning over Jack's form.

Jack muttered something from underneath his tangle of sheets and comforters that sounded to be a type of yes.

Axton looked on fondly at the other man as he curled back to sleep.

Axton slipped on a pair of boxers modestly, and yanked the door open leaving Jack to rest.

He locked the door behind him...just in case.

Axton padded down the stairwell at a fast, jovial pace, taking two or three steps at a time.

The house was bustling with noise, voice rising and falling and footsteps padding around the hard wood flooring.

Axton immediately wondered what time of day it might be...

Axton rounded the corner to find the table set with not breakfast, but lunch. Salvador and Krieg were eating in the living room, sharing a bag of chips noisily.

Maya was humming and fixing herself a sandwich, Zero not far from her as per-normal. The guy followed her like a shadow. Obsessed with her, crooning over her, but then again who wouldn't? Maya was a beautiful as they came. Her heart swelling with love and kindness for others. Her's eyes always sparkling with wonder and concern for those in need.

She looked up as Axton approached, a small smile breaking across her lips. The secret of what they had done hung between their gaze.

Both knowing.

Neither telling.

"Well good afternoon commando." She said smiling.

"Feeling better? Sleep is good. You needed the rest to regenerate." Zero mused displaying a smiling hologram in the commando's direction.

Axton nodded.

"Yeah I'm feeling a lot better now. So what's for lunch?" Axton said leaning on the counter.

Suddenly there was a hard slap to Axton's left ass cheek.

He yelped and turned around rubbing his buttocks.

"How's about we have a slice of that sweet ass for lunch?" Gaige screeched laughing so hard Axton thought the weird redhead might pass out.

"God damn it Gaige would you quit!" Axton bellowed.

"Oh c'mon you big party pooper! I haven't gotten to mess with you in like four days! I missed that nice bubble butt!" Gaige cackled as she danced passed him, grabbed an apple off the counter and headed off to join Salvador and Krieg in the den.

"That's why you shouldn't wear form fitting boxers around the house." Maya chuckled lightly finishing her lunchtime creation.

Axton rolled his eyes and went about making lunch of his own.

He fixed himself a sandwich adorned with turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, the works. Then went about making a second. Just ham and cheese. Nothing else.

Jack was a picky son or a bitch.

He liked nothing more on his sandwiches than the bare minimum.

Maya smiled at him and the two sandwiches.

Axton returned the small gesture and was gone, taking his lunch to eat "alone".

Axton unlocked his door and pushed it open with his shoulder, carefully balancing each plateful of lunch.

The lump in the bed seemed to have not moved.

Axton gently sat Jack's plate on the bedside table and then eased himself onto the bed's edge.

The mattress dipped with the commando's presence and the sleeping form underneath the comforters groaned in annoyance.

Jack slowly sat up, the blankets pooling around his chest as he did so.

He squinted at Axton, eyes tired, hair a tangled mess from sleeping on it wet.

Axton just smiled at him.

"Brought you food." Axton said nodding toward the bedside table.

Jack looked at the food, scrutinizing the plateful of sandwich, chips and an apple.

Without another word Jack was leaned over, dragging the plate toward him. He set the food in his lap and went about stuffing it in his mouth as fast as possible.

Normally Jack ate like a bird. Picking at it delicately, always refusing to use his hands. Manners were important to the former Hyperion CEO...but those seemed to go out the window rather quickly with the onset of near starvation. Technically his body had not had food in three days.

He was absolutely famished.

Jack swallowed obscenely, the almost completely consumed sandwich in one hand, and too many chips in the other.

"Slow down you're gunna choke." Axton mused at the other man.

Jack only looked at Axton sheepishly over his meal.

He acted as if someone could take the food from him at any second.

Fearful that he would not be able to keep the meal in the end.

Axton could sense the fear, and hesitation in Jack's eyes.

The nourishment seemed so much more precious to Jack than Axton fully understood.

Axton slowly shuffled across the bed to sit next to the brown haired man.

He put one arm around Jack's shoulder and rubbed it soothingly.

A little bit of food clung to Jack's lip as he frowned at Axton.

The commando smiled gently and wiped the crumbs away with the pad of his thumb.

They sat there in silence for a few moments. No words needed between the two men. Axton was ok with just sitting, just being there.

He knew not what was going on in Jack's head. What he had been through...

"They didn't let us eat." Jack whispered softly, staring down at the food, his blue eye glossy and unmoving.

Axton looked at him with, furrowed, concerned eyes.

"Who didn't...?" Axton whispered touching Jack's cheek.

Jack shook his head violently.

His face screwed into an expression of utter terror and pain. His eyes squeezed shut and his teeth gritted, lips pulling back over clenched white teeth. He tried to hold them back. But they came anyway.

The tears.

Heavy and warm as they slid down Jack's scarred cheeks.

They collected in the deep hollows of the blue scar, wetting the taught skin delicately.

Axton set his plate aside to pull Jack close to him.

Jack wilted around him, shuttering with sobs, falling apart in the commando's arms.

Axton hugged him close, feeling Jack's body convulse into rattling tears.

Jack's slender fingers scraped over Axton's back, almost a little too roughly.

The man seemed frantic to cling to Axton, for fear that Axton might suddenly just fade away.

Like he was only a temporary thing.

Only here for a moment before he would be gone.

This was only for a second in time. If Jack blinked the man would be gone.

The only thing he cared about would be gone.

The only person he could cling to in his time of need.

Jack sobbed shamelessly into Axton's shoulder, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

Axton shushed him softly.

Seeing him like this was harder than he ever could have expected.

Handsome Jack did not cry.

Handsome Jack did not show emotion of any kind.

Handsome Jack felt nothing.

No love.

No sorrow.

Handsome Jack was _hollow. _

Yet...here he was falling apart at the seams in Axton's heavy arms, and all the commando could do was watch.

"I'm so sorry Jack...it's all my fault." Axton breathed against Jack's rushing pulse.

If he had just been there for him.

If he had just talked to him...

If he had just tried harder.

Maybe...just maybe Jack would not have fallen apart.

But as hard as Axton tried to convince himself that all this was true...he knew it was not.

He had tried.

He had talked to him.

He had been there for him.

After Angel's death...Axton had tried.

Going against his better judgement and his own sanity he had thrown out all concerns for his own safety.

He had gone to sanctuary.

Fully knowing what may have become of him, he went anyway.

He stood there at the big gates, turret's sites all aimed at him. Little red dots decorating him like a tree in december.

The wind had whipped around his form, blowing an icy chill through his hair. He went unarmed.

Not a blade on him to so much as save his soul if things turned for the worst.

It was the stupidest decision he had ever made, and yet he had to.

He had to do this.

The Hyperion workers had come, they slammed him to the ground and Axton had tasted the sharp, metallic hint of blood as he bit his cheek on impact.

The ground was cold as they forced his face into the dirt, and the metal handcuffs snapped around his wrists proved even colder.

He had gone without a fight.

Oh what had become of him?

A Vault Hunter, reduced to this by such a stupid thing...as love.

They'd taken him away, hauling him, pushing him, shoving him like an animal being taken to slaughter. He had followed, willingly to the butchers door. Ready to die. Ready to sacrifice his meat.

Ready to give it all.

Bleed out in the shining tile floor to please his purpose.

They'd chained him to the floor, forcing him to kneel. Such a lowly pose, sitting there bowing to an empty room.

They'd stripped him naked.

They'd beat him.

He took the punches to the face, the beatings of heavy sticks across his back, the slap of a flogger to his rear.

He'd taken the bruises, the cuts, the broken ribs.

He'd taken it all.

He wasn't sure if he would live through it. He'd gone into it knowing that.

But love made people stupid with determination.

He just needed to see him.

Just once.

Then maybe...maybe he could convince him to stop all this.

All this madness.

Day's had passed, and he remained chained to the floor, lying in a puddle of his own blood and shame.

On the third day, a presence had filled the doorway.

A presence that Axton would know anywhere, and yet at the same time he did not recognize it.

This time...he was different. The man standing in the doorframe. He was different in this breath. In this moment.

"_Jack" _

Axton had rasped out the name as if he were begging for his life.

He stared up at the taller man through his one good eye. The other was swelled shut, the socket clearly fractured, blood pooling around the injured eye.

Jack had just looked down upon the broken man, his cold gaze sweeping over the scene before his feet.

_"__Jack please" _

Axton had begged, his pride diminishing and his emotion taking over.

Jack just stood there, accessing what was once, his lover.

Or still was.

It was hard to tell.

Jack wasn't sure.

He was unsure of everything now.

He hated everything.

Nothing made sense.

He had nothing to live for.

Why would the stupid man come back to him now.

After everything he had done?

He'd betrayed him.

He was supposed to love him.

How could he kill his only daughter and then come _back. _

The toe of Jack's shoe had collided with Axton's gut hard, digging into the soft, injured flesh.

Axton had cried out pitifully, his voice echoing through the room.

_"__No, Jack, Jack please..."_ Axton had whispered, tears clinging to the corners of his eyes.

Jack still said nothing.

Thin lips of the mask a hard line across his sharp features.

"You killed her." He whispered finally.

Axton shook his head frantically, looking up to Jack for some sort of mercy.

_"__Jack no, I know you meant well...but Angel...Angel had to die..." _Axton pleaded.

"DON"T SAY HER NAME! DON'T YOU SAY HER NAME! MY BABY'S NAME DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE ON YOUR FILTHY TONGUE!" Jack had yelled.

He was on Axton before he'd even finished his last sentence.

His fingers wrapped around Axton's throat, clenching down like vices.

His eyes were wild as he looked down at the struggling man.

They seemed to glow like wicked orbs set in his skull. Shimmering with hate, with confusion, with sadness.

He was falling apart, and all Axton could do was watch. See the man that Jack had become.

Feel him as he squeezed the very life from Axton's lungs.

Jack could feel Axton's rising pulse beneath his thumbs, crushing them against the commando's windpipe.

He was clenching too hard.

Too rough.

Too violently.

Too long.

But he didn't care.

He needed this.

He needed to pay.

Pay for what he had done to his little girl.

He'd trusted the Vault Hunter.

He'd loved him...

How could he betray him so?

How could he do such a thing?

Take away a fathers baby?

Take her away as if she meant nothing.

She was Jack's baby.

His baby girl.

Now she was gone.

Gone forever.

Gone.

Axton's face was turning blue with lack of oxygen, Jack's cruel, big, hands unforgiving in their purpose.

He was gasping for the air that did not exist.

Struggling against Jack's stronger form as the CEO pinned him to the floor.

They had been in this position many times before. Taken in the throws of lust and love and need for each other. But now, now here they were as Axton possibly took his last, labored breaths.

_"__Jack...no matter what...I still love you...I always will..." _Axton had rasped through short, strangled breaths.

Jack's eyes had widened, eyebrows drawing up slowly.

He no longer looked like the deranged psychopath that he was...

In that moment he just looked...lost.

A man that had lost it all.

His daughter, his planet, his sanity.

He had nothing left.

Yet...he did.

He had Axton if he was willing to accept him.

Axton was willing to be there.

Jack's grip had loosened just as the edges of Axton's vision had began to get fuzzy and blurred.

Axton could feel the blood rushing in his ears, and he took a heavy breath.

Drawing it in desperately.

Jack had sat there for a moment, confusion and pain settling over his face.

"No." Jack had whispered.

He'd gotten up suddenly, crossing the room at a hurried pace, only to pause at the door.

"I never loved you." Jack had hissed over his shoulder.

Then he was gone.

Leaving Axton there, lying on the floor, hurt and bleeding.

Through all the beatings, and all the pain, and the strangling...those words had hurt the most.

Hurt more than any gunshot wound. More than any wound from any creature lurking the Pandoran surface. More than all the poison the world could offer.

That hurt the most.

Jack had let Axton go.

Thrown him away like you would spoiled garbage.

He no longer wanted the lingering memories of what had once been between the two men.

That was how it had to be.

Axton clutched Jack's shivering body closer.

"Jack, Jack why are you crying?" Axton whispered softly running his hands through Jack's tangled morning hair.

Jack drew in a sharp, shaking breath.

"I-I want this one to be real...but I know it's not. I know I only have a little while..and then...then you'll be gone...I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I never meant to hurt you I shouldn't have done what I did! I'm just human I made so many mistakes I'm sorry! I loved you so much and I should have listened to you and I didn't! It's always like this! Always the same! Over and over and over again! I can't take it anymore! I just want you back I just want everything back!" Jack yelled his pupil blown and full of terror, his nails digging into Axton too hard.

Axton pressed Jack to him tighter, fighting against the struggling man who was spiraling into a full on panic attack.

"Jack I'm not going anywhere! I don't know what your talking about! This isn't a dream it's real! Look at me!" Axton said sternly.

He forced Jack to look into his eyes harshly.

"No-No! You'll be gone! Just like always!" Jack cried woefully.

Axton pressed his forehead against Jack's and rocked him softly.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." Axton whispered as he kissed Jack's hair.

The minutes passed by and Jack seemed to relax in Axton's arms.

"See. I'm still here." Axton said gently.

Jack wiped his eye with back of his slender hand.

"I-it-it's real this time?" Jack stuttered pitifully.

Axton nodded and kissed along Jack's tear stained, scar ridden face.

"C-Can you help me walk to the bathroom...I don't know if I can stand..." Jack whispered ashamed.

Axton smiled into Jack's scalp.

"Of course sweetie." Axton said getting up and helping Jack to stand.

Jack wobbled and teetered his legs weak and unsteady as he leaned hard against Axton's outstretched arms.

"I'm sorry..." Jack whispered looking at Axton his face pale and his eyes puffy.

Axton shook his head.

"No need to be sorry." Axton said offering Jack a gentle, understanding smile.

Jack took a few steps, Axton guiding him and offering his strength as a crutch for the weakened man.

Axton's sweatpants drooped a little and threatened to fall off Jack's hip.

Axton tenderly reached down and hefted them up.

Jack looked down at his clothing and grimaced.

The sweatpants were brown, with a Jackobs logo sprawled down the left leg.

"Really? You dressed me in Jackobs sweatpants?" Jack snarled giving Axton an appalled look.

Axton laughed heartily and shook his head.

"Sorry I didn't have them in Hyperion yellow." He chuckled smiling widely.

There he was.

A small sliver of the Jack that Axton knew all too well.

No matter how weak, and broken, he was still in there...somewhere.


End file.
